Locking clip



March 9, 1943. L 2,313,249

LOCKING CLIP Filed Oct. 4, 1940 IN VEN TOR George P..L um i a 9 2 v QATTORNEY 4 Patented Mar; 9, 1943 UNITED PATENT OFFICE 1 2,313,249 f I"LOCKIN'G CLIP, I George "P. Linn, South Bend, Ind., assignor to BendixAviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind, acorporation of DelawareApplication October 4, 1940, SerialNo'. 359,647-

9 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locking clips and particularly todevices or clipsfor securing rods and levers together.

The, levers of many mechanical devices are operably connected with otherparts byrod-like links. A link of this character commonly has alaterally turned end portionpivotally received in an opening providedtherefor in the lever to which it is connectedandthe parts are heldfromaccidentally becoming disconnected by a cotter pin-or-hairpin clipreceived inan annular groove adjacent the free end of said'laterallyturned portion of the rod. However,;this type of connection'is notsatisfactory due to the tendency of the lever to become wedged against.theinner curved portion or bend of the link thus restricting freeoperative movements or. the associated parts. To eliminate thiswedgingtendency it has been necessary in the pasttoeither grind orotherwise 'machine-the inner. curved portion, producing a sharp orsquare corner against which the link. would not become wedged. Thegrinding or machining operation is moderately expensive and it isthereforehighly d'esirableto eliminate it if possible.

With the foregoing in view;.it is an important object of thepresent/invention to provide a clip for securing atogether leverseandrods of this character that-willieliminate such wedging and sticking ofthe parts and permit free operative manufacture in large volume byautomatic machinery and that is easy to attach.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is' a partial elevation of a carburetor having a lever with anactuating rod connected for the purpose of illustrating theinvention andis not intended as a limitation thereof to the constructiondisclosed,'the appended claims be lng intended to cover all themodifications and therewith, said/lever and rod being secured togetherwith the present I invention;

Figure .2 is an enlarged side view of the .rod and lever assemblyoperably secured together with the present invention; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the alternativeconstructions falling within the scope of the invention, 1

The invention may be used to secure together various types of..leversand rods although it is herein'shown in connection with a lever and rodof a carburetor, said carburetor being indicated generally byreferencenumeral ID in the drawing. Idling cam I2 is part of 'alever [4 havingan-open ing I5 adjacent the free end thereof in which is pivotallyreceived an end portion 16 of rod or link l8, said end portion" l6 beingturned laterally at substantially right angles to the body of therod l8.g

The present-invention preferably comprises a length of wire having aresilient U-shaped or hairpin-like 'clip 20 including opposed arcuatesections 22 adapted to be received in an annular groove 24 adjacent thefree end of the laterally bent rod portion 16, and a U-shapedlever-retaining member. The retaining member in cludes one arm of theclip which is extended'at 25, an arm 26 in spaced parallel relationtherewith and a loop or ring 28 adjacent the end of arm 26 and having asubstantially common axis withthe'sections 22. However, the loop may beof some other shape'than circular, the clip may -be formed in any othersuitable manner and the arcuatesections may be otherwise shaped toengage the'groove.-

. In. connecting the lever and rod; the looking I device is placed onthe lever with the arcuate sections 22 and ring.28- insubstantialregister with the opening IS in the lever, .the clip 20 I being on theouter side of the lever and the ring 28 on the inner side thereof asshown in Figures 1 and 2. The lever and locking device are then slippedonto the laterally turned'portion' [6,:the end of which isrtapered at-l9toifacilitate'the assembling operation by spreading the arms of As; the"lever and locking device are pressed fur ther onto portionifi, the terthe groove 24. r 1

When the assembly is thus completed the lever retaining-memberstraddlesthe end of the lever l4 and the ring or loop 28 floats on theend 16 of rod l8 adjacent the, inner side of lever I4 and spaces thelever from the inner. curved portion 30 of the bend in the rod. Thelever is loosely received between the arms of the retaining member withthe arms substantially parallel arcuatesections 22 enparallel withreceived on the turn in the rod.

biuation with the respective outer and inner sides of the lever, and theclosed end 29 of said member is normally spaced 9. sufficient distancefrom the adjacent end of the lever to prevent contact therewiththroughout normal operative movements thereof. l

The sides of the groove 24 are substantially each other and are atsubstantially. right angles to the axis of the portion I6 therebyforming shoulders which resist escape of the arcuate sections 22 fromthe groove. However, one or both sides of the groove may be curved orotherwise sloped. The resiliency or elasticity of the clip permits thespreading of the arms when the device is being attached,- but said armsare normally spaced sufficiently close together so that when attachedthe arcuate sections lie sumciently within the groove to preventtheiraccidental dislocation therefrom. It is also prefer-.

able that thearcuate sections'at least lightlygrip the bottom or sidesof the groove to prevent undue rotation of the device on the rod.However,

the device does not engage the groove with sufilcient pressure tointerfere with manual operative movements of the lever and rod shouldthe closed end 29 ofthe retaining member come into contactwith thelever.

Wedging ofthefllever andcurved portion 30 of the. rodis preventedby thearms of the retaining memberflwhichdimit relative longitudinal movejentsthereoi and by'the ring 28which positiv'elyspaces the lever from thecurved portion 30.

whilel but 'one embodiment of the invention hasnbeenillustra'ted inconnection with a rod and lever, it will be apparent'tothoseskilled inthe art that the invention'may be applied to othentypesoi. rods andlevers. Otherchanges,

modifications, substitutions, additions and omiss'ion's may be made. inthe structure described without departing irom thespirit and; scope ofthe appended claims.

' I claim:.

1. In a device "or the class' described the corn 7 bination of arod-having a laterally turned end portion,,said portion havingan annulargroove adjacent the tree end thereof, a lever pivotally theend portion,a wire locking device including ,a resilient U-sshaped clip "havingopposed arcuate sections received in the groove, said clip having an armextended and turned back in spaced parallel relation therewith to form aU-sha'ped retaining memberwhich straddles the, lever, and a loop formedat thefree end of the back turned arm of the retaining member, the loopbeing rotatably received on the laterally turned end portion or the rodadjacent the inner side of thelever, said retaining member limitinglongitudinal movement of the lever on the rod and. retaining said leverin spaced relation 2."In a device of the class described, the comof arod'bent to provide a laterally'e'xtending end portion having anannular. groove therein, a" ing portion, and alocking device comprisinga resilientclip received in the groove, a U-'shaped lever pivoted onsaid laterally jextendwith means connecting said parts and extendingabout the lever, said means being so disposed that substantial rotativemovement of the lever may occur on.-the rod without engagement with theconnecting means.

4. A device of the class described comprising a length of wire bent toform a U-shaped clip at one end having ar'cuate sections resilientlyseparable relative to each other and adapted to ehgage a groove, a loopat the other end in substantially axial alignment with the arcuatesections,

and an intermediate U-shaped portion connecting the clip and loop inspacedparallel relation.

5. 'I'he'combination of a fastening device having a loop portion and aresilient clip member with sections adapted to be received in an annulargroove, and a rod having a tapering end and an annular groove for theclip sections, the loop portion of the fastening device being adapted tofloat on the rod and the tapered end of the rod being adapted to enterbetween-the clip sections and separate same during attachment of thecliponto the rod.

6. In a fastening device formed of wire, a U- shaped portion, and aresilient hairpin-like clip formed adjacent the end of one of the armsof the- U-shaped portion, said clip including opposed arcuate sections,and the other arm of the U- shaped portion being spaced from said onearm longitudinally relative to the axis of the 'arcuate sections.

'7. In combination, an annularly grooved rod, a lever pivoted on theannularly grooved rod, and a. U-shaped fastening device formed of alength of wire of relatively small cross-section and straddling thelever, at least a portion of one arm of the U-shaped device being formedinto ahairpin-like clip adapted toengage the groove and secure thefastener on the rod- 8. The combination of a rod having an annulargroove, a lever pivoted on the rod with one-side adjacent said groove,and a fasteningdevice' clip adjacent the end of one arm of the U--shaped membensaid cli'p including sections re-- siliently separablerelative to. each other,. the other arm of the U-shaped member having a"bent portion spaced from the clip.

GEORGE P.

